The Wolf
by Iknowaboutvikings
Summary: In a time of magic and a land of myth... There was a great King... Arthur. Tales have been told of Arthur's great heroism on the battle field. He was a just and fair king who believed that it was the strength of man's heart which brought peace to the land. Stories of the Great King Arthur have traveled far and wide. However this is a lesser known tale... It is the tale of Prince
1. Chapter 1: Full Moon

Casting an ominous glow on the forest below, the full moon shone brightly in the night sky. Dark shadows stretched across the forest floor while he weaved in and out of the trees. The sounds of heavy panting meshed with the sound of leaves crunching beneath the weight of his paws filled the air.

With heart pounding the sense of dread swelled up within him as he raced through the forest. Keeping his eyes locked sharp on the dancing shadows, the wolf ran towards the light of the silvery moon. Knowing there wasn't much time left he broke into a desperate sprint until he crossed over of the forest's edge.

From the ledge just beyond the forest, the wolf gazed upon the great city of Camelot. The city was aglow in the warm light of flickering candles. At seeing the marvelous city the wolf sighed in relief, and then flicked his head back and howled at the full moon above.

Merlin's eyes shot open and he gazed around the dark room still able to hear the wolf's echoing cry in his mind. Slowly Merlin sat up in his bed. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could make out the shapes of the small table beside his bed and the dresser across the room. Merlin's gaze slowly floated to the small window a few feet away from his cot. He saw the full moon hanging high in the starry sky and once again could hear the faint cry of the wolf from his dream. Despite knowing that it was only a dream, Merlin could not help feeling like it meant something. He just could not shake the anxious feeling that had come from being one with the wolf throughout the dream.

Eventually Merlin laid back down and was able to clear away his thoughts of the panicked wolf, but Merlin did intend to tell Gaius of the dream when he woke up in a few short hours. Gaius would know if there was more to this dream or not.


	2. Chapter 2: New Knights

"I will not rest until all of Camelot bows before me." Morgana shouted across the battle field before riding off with her retreating army. They were words which still haunted everyone who heard them that day.

Morgana's threat was still on the minds of everyone in Camelot, but no one's more than the King. For the past three weeks Arthur woke up and looked out his window to see the trail of destruction Morgana had left in her wake. Then once again her sharp words would echo through his mind. He found himself asking the same question over and over, _What happened to you, Morgana?_ Growing up Morgana had always been so kind and compassionate. She would run around the castle with Gaius, the court physician and pass out flowers to all of his patients.

After learning that she had magic and was not just King Uther's ward, but also his daughter and Arthur's sister, Morgana had become consumed by hatred and darkness. She sought out more power for her quest in revenge against the crimes of their father. She wanted him to pay for lying to her all those years as well as for condemning those with magic to death. Her hatred blinded her from the truth of her actions. She could not see that it was people who used magic as she did, for their own selfish dark deeds that made both Uther and Arthur believe that magic itself was evil and corrupt.

Even after Morgana had killed Uther, her thirst for revenge was still unsatisfied. She vowed to rule over Camelot and bring freedom to all the people who were like her and practiced magic. This last attack on Camelot was quite a blow to the city. Many people lost their homes and whole villages were destroyed. Arthur knew that Morgana meant what she had said as she rode away. It certainly was no idle threat. This was only the beginning.

While looking out the window at the wounded city, Arthur realized this was not a war he could fight alone.

"Merlin!" The King called for his manservant.

Moments later Merlin came stumbling into the King's chambers with a tray of food.

"Good morning, Sire." Merlin hummed as he awkwardly placed the tray down on the nearby table.

Looking over his shoulder at Merlin, Arthur raised a brow at the servant.

"How can someone who has been working as my servant for so long still fumble around like it was his first day?" Arthur asked. Although his tone was belittling Merlin only smiled his usual dopey smile and shrugged. The two of them had actually become such good friends that Arthur truly valued Merlin's company and opinions, " I have written to King Spairon asking him for help in this war against Morgana." Arthur told Merlin.

Merlin listened carefully as he began to make the King's bed.

"King Spairon and my father were good friends, and so when he received my message he offered to spare a good number of his own men to come to Camelot in preparation for another attack from Morgana."

Merlin nodded and opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted when the door to the King's chamber opened, and the person on who stepped through the door spoke out.

"King Spairon has the largest army in the land." Said the beautiful woman who walked into the room. With her long blonde hair tied in a loose braid over her shoulder and her lace robe tied over her nightgown.

"Catarina... Good morning." Arthur greeted his sister with a bright smile.

Princess Catarina smiled and nodded, "If we align with King Spairon there is no way Morgana would dare attack us again."

Both men could see the tears welling up in Princess Catarina's eyes. Morgana's betrayal came as a shock to everyone, but it was hardest for Catarina. Growing up Morgana and Catarina were more then friends. They were sisters, and that was before Morgana learned the truth about who she was.

It was still hard for Catarina to believe that Morgana was the one behind Uther's death and the one leading these attacks against Camelot and her family.

Arthur reached out and took Catarina hands, "With King Spairon's help we will be able to stand against Morgana. We will restore Camelot and protect our people." He said to her trying to comfort her.

"Our father would be proud." Catarina said with a forced smile.

Arthur nodded and thanked her. Then he told Merlin that the new Knights sent by King Spairon would be arriving today. They would have a feast in celebration of the Knights arrival.

With his lists of tasks to prepare for the feast, Merlin left the King and his sister to discuss the arrival of the new Knights. Making his way down the long corridors and narrow stairwells he traveled through the servant quarters unit he arrived at a small wooden door.

As Merlin pushed open the door and listened to the high pitched squeaking, Gaius turned away from his work bench.

"Ah, there you are, Merlin." Gaius greeted Merlin, "I am just working on a draft for Princess Catarina. Where have you been?"

"Arthur has given me this list of things to get ready for the arrival of the new Knights." Merlin held out the list to show Gaius.

Gaius glanced over the list then handed it back to Merlin. There was a lot of work to be done before the feast.

"Sir Rolsen arrived just a short while ago. I believe he is also one of King Spairon's men."

Merlin nodded, and suddenly Gaius noticed how quiet the boy was being. It was unlike Merlin to hold his tough. Gaius put down the potions he was working with and sat beside Merlin who was staring intensely at the list.

"Merlin, what's the matter?" Gaius asked.

Without looking up at the old physician, Merlin sighed. He pursed his lips together in deep concentration.

"Just staring at that list won't make the things on it randomly disappear." He teased. When Merlin did not look up at him, Gaius nudged him in an effort to get him to talk a bit.

"I just keep thinking about the wolf." Merlin finally confessed.

"The one from your dream?" Gaius said knowingly.

Merlin nodded, "I just keep thinking it means something. I have had the same dream every night for the past three weeks. Since the attack on Camelot. That can't be a coincidence, Gaius."

The old physician looked around the small room to be sure no one was around and that no one would overhear them. Magic had been ban in Camelot under Uther's rule. Since becoming King, Arthur had not revoked the laws against magic. Leaving people like Morgana living in a dangerous world, but of course not everyone with magic carried the same darkness in them that Morgana had. There were also people like Merlin who had magic but used it for good. Because of the ban on magic Merlin had to keep his magic secret from everyone but Gaius.

"Gaius, I know these dreams are a sign of something. They are no ordinary dreams." Merlin insisted.

Gaius patted Merlin's hand and sighed. There was no way to know for sure if the dreams were a sign of something. All he could do was advise Merlin to focus on real life and leave his dreams for when he is asleep.

"You have a lot to do before the feast tonight. You best get to work." Gaius said as he ushered Merlin toward the door.


	3. Chapter 3:3 Servants and 1 Blind Knight

A soft knock on the door to Arthur's chambers interrupted the conversation between him and Catarina. Both the King and his sister looked to the heavy wooden door as it was pushed open by one of the servants, who stuck her head in the room and said, "Excuse me, My Lord... Your presence is requested in the Great Hall."

With a sigh Arthur nodded to his sister then walked to the door where he smiled at the kind servant and said, "Thank you, Gwen." before slipping out of the room.

"He is really worried about being able to protect Camelot from another attack." Princess Catarina confessed to Gwen once Arthur had gone down the hall and rounded the corner.

"Arthur is a good King. I have every confidence that he will do what is necessary to protect Camelot from Morgana." Gwen replied while straightening up some of the clothes that had been tossed on the floor. Gwen spoke freely almost forgetting that she was addressing not just her friend but also the Princess of Camelot.

"Oh! I am so sorry, your highness." She gasped quickly trying to make up for her mistake.

Catarina giggled and reached out for her friend's hand, "It is alright, Gwen. I agree with you." The Princess said with a reassuring smile, "Plus I think we both know how exactly how much faith you have in Arthur." She teased.

Gwen blushed and denied it of course, but everyone knew the truth. Gwen had grown up in the castle along side Catarina, Morgana, and Arthur. There could be no denying the connection Gwen and Arthur shared despite the vastly different worlds they lived in. While Catarina knew Arthur could never take Gwen as his wife she wished he could. She knew how happy the two of them would be.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Gwen repeated trying to conceal the smile that she automatically broke out with whenever she talked about Arthur.

"Fine you keep telling yourself that if you must." Catarina replied as she led the way out of Arthur's chambers and down the long corridor to her own chambers. Once inside Catarina's chambers the Princess immediately made her way over to her wardrobe. She combed through it looking for a gown to wear to the feast later that night.

" Anyway these men who are arriving today are going to stand with Arthur and protect Camelot. With any luck their arrival will help put Arthur's mind at ease. He is so fearful of another attack that he is keeping himself up at night." Catarina continued to say as she pulled out dress after dress, "Camelot was almost lost in the last attack. There is no telling what could happen if Morgana decided to attack again." The name of her once dear friend, Lady Morgana caught in the Princess's throat as she spoke. It was still just so hard to imagine her betraying everyone in Camelot. However Catarina did not have to imagine it. She saw the destruction Morgana caused with her own eyes. Morgana was a threat to Camelot and all of it's people. Except now with King Spairon's men, Arthur might finally be able to defeat her and the people of Camelot will no longer have to live in fear.

"We mustn't think of that." Gwen interrupted the Princess's thoughts, "We must remain hopeful. We should be happy that King Spairon's men are willing to come fight along side Arthur."

Catarina looked over her shoulder at Gwen and smiled. She had always admired Gwen's optimism. Catarina wished she could take Gwen's advice and focus on the light that seemed to be shinning down on them for the moment, but somewhere deep in her heart Catarina knew this war would not be won without a great loss.

"How about this one?" Gwen offered as she pulled a bright crimson gown from the wardrobe.

Reaching out for the gown Catarina nodded, "It is perfect!" She held the gown up against herself and posed for Gwen. She admired subtle gold embroidery along the trim of the skirt and sleeves. It had always been one of her favorite gowns. Holding the gown close to her, Catarina spun around watching the heavy red fabric blow out around her legs. The woman laughed as they danced around the room.

Their joyous dancing was suddenly interrupted when they heard a crash outside the door. Gwen the Princess rushed to the door, and pulled it open to find Merlin sprawled out on the hard stone floor with pieces of armor and luggage scattered around him.

"Merlin! Are you alright?" The Princess asked as she and Gwen bent down to help him up.

"Ha! Now what do we have here?" A deep raspy voice asked from behind them, "Lets see how many dirty servants does it take to carry one man's luggage?" The voice mocked, "I count, one... two... three." He said as he pointed to first to Merlin, then to Gwen, and finally to Catarina.

Instinctively Gwen opened her mouth to speak. She was about to correct the man and inform him that Catarina was in fact the Princess of Camelot, but when she caught sight of the warning glance Catarina shot at her, Gwen quickly snapped her mouth shut and let her gaze fall to the floor.

"You..." The man said with his long finger still pointing at Catarina. For a split second she thought he might have recognized her as the Princess, "You ... are quite a pretty one, for a servant." He said eyeing her closely, "Perhaps the King will allow and I to get better acquainted later this evening?" The Man said while reaching down to stroke Catarina's cheek causing her to turn away in disgust. Princess or not she would never tolerate being spoken to in such a disgraceful manner.

Both Merlin and Gwen stared on in shock. Still though Catarina said nor did anything to reveal who she truly was. As she reeled away from his advances the man only laughed and continued to belittle them.

"Well, come on!" The man then snapped at the three of them, "King Arthur is expecting me in the Great Hall. I would like to have some time to settle in before I begin doing that prat's bidding." The Man scoffed, and again both Gwen and Merlin looked at Catarina wide eyed, "Thanks to your clumsiness I will have no time before meeting with him!" The man screamed at Merlin.

Hurriedly, Merlin, Gwen, and Catarina gathered the man's things and carried them into this rooms. All the while Gwen and Merlin exchanged nervous glances wondering when Catarina would confess her true identity to the man.

As Catarina placed the man's armor down on the long table beside the window she noticed the crest engraved on his chest plate. As a young girl, Catarina was forced to memorize all of the noble family's crests. This particular crest was of blood red tree and a stone black crow. Catarina knew the crest belonged to the Gister family. Tydon Gister fought along side Catarina's father, Uther during the great purge when Uther first ban magic from Camelot. Catarina looked over her shoulder at the man who was continuing to order Gwen around. This man was certainly not Tydon Gister.

"You are Tydon Gislen?" Catarina asked the man directly.

The man froze clearly surprised by the frank question and that a lowly servant would dare address him. Once the man recovered from his shock he chuckled a bit an smirked as he strode across the room to where Catarina stood, "Do I look like a rotting corps to you? Tydon Gister died more then seven years ago."

Catarina did not reply.

"Tydon Gister was my father." The man offered.

"He had no sons." Catarina thought, but also said aloud.

Once again the man could not mask his surprise. This was certainly not how a servant would behave, or at least he would never allow his servants to behave in such a way.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

Catarina meet his mossy green gaze and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Tydon Gister did not have a son." She repeated, "Who are you?"

This time the man did not hesitate and in one swift movement his hand flew across Catarina's cheek leaving it red and stinging. Catarina heard Gwen's horrified gasp from the nearby corner. She could not see Merlin, and figured he had probably gone to find Arthur.

"Arthur may allow this kind of disgraceful behavior from his servants but I do not." The man commanded.

However just as fast as his hand had swung through the air to strike Catarina's cheek, the man now laid flat on his back. The rug he had been standing on pulled out from underneath him by some invisible force.

Holding her still stinging cheek Catarina met the man's gaze once more. This time her gaze was sharp and narrowed. She held her head high and as she slowly let her hand fall from her cheek she asked him once more, "Who are you?"

The man looked up at Catarina with questioning eyes. More then anything now he wanted to know who she was. No servant, no matter who they were would continue to stand up to him after being struck like that. The man eyed Catarina once more and just now realized she was not dirty like the rest of the servants. Whoever ever this woman was she held a higher standing in the court then he had originally assumed. He wondered if she had magic, or perhaps she was the Lady Morgana in degise. Fear now struck the man's heart.

"I am Sir Rolsen Hamen..." The man admitted. He wondered if he gave her the information she wanted if he would be able to find out who she was, "Tydon Gister was my step-father. He took me in after my father died."

Now it was Catarina who eyed the man trying to decide whether or not she believed him.

"Very well." She said after a moment. Then she strode pass Sir Rolsen toward the door.

"Wait! You are you?" Sir Rolsen called after her.

Catarina did bother to respond or even turn back around she only nodded for Gwen to follow her. Happily Gwen did so and the two of them march away from the Knight before he could raise a hand to either one of them again.

A short while later there was a knock on Catarina's door. Catarina was sitting on her bed with her back to the door when Gwen opened the door and Merlin entered the room.

"Your Highness..." Merlin called shyly, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright?"

The Princess turned and looked at Merlin with a bright smile. She clearly had not let Sir Rolsen bother her. In fact all she had talked about since leaving his chambers was how he seemed to fall out of no where, "What kind of Knight just topples over like that?" She and Gwen giggled as they recounted to tale to Merlin, who claims to have slipped out just after he struck her.

"I hope you haven't told Arthur about this?" Catarina asked Merlin.

Merlin wring his hands together, "Well I went to find him as soon as I saw him hit you, but I did not find him. I eventually found Sir Leon who told me that Arthur had gone with Gaius to check on something for the feast tonight." Merlin felt bad for lying to the Princess but he couldn't very well tell her the truth, that he had used his magic to pull the rug out from under Sir Rolsen.

"You will tell him though, right?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"Of course! But I want to make sure Sir Rolsen realizes exactly who he was dealing with." She said with a devilish smirk that broke into a playful giggle, "I will tell Arthur tonight during the feast. That way Sir Rolsen won't have time to talk his way out of it."

"I hope not all the men King Spairon have sent are like Sir Rolsen." Gwen mumbled to herself.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth and Lies

As the sun set over the city the castle came alive. Everything was lit up by the warm glow of flickering candles. Red and gold banners hung from every wall, while grand tapestries had been hung in the Great Hall, and an enormous banquet table stretched down the center of the hall. Arthur stood in front of his throne dressed in his long red cloak and carefully sitting upon his head, the symbol of his power. The King held a jewel encrusted cup in his hand as he mingled with some of the nobles who had arrived for the feast. Meanwhile servants scurried about trying to make the final preparations for the arrival of King Spairon's Knights.

Breaking from a conversation he had been having with Lord Kylen, Arthur turned and reached out for the sleeve of Merlin's tattered brown jacket. With a gentle tug on the servant's sleeve, Merlin lost his footing and stumbled backwards.

"Why must you always insist on embarrassing me, Merlin?" Arthur grumbled once Merlin had regained his balance. Merlin gave the King a pointed look but did not respond, "Have you seen my sister? She should be down here when the Knights arrive, but I haven't seen her all day."

Nervously Merlin looked from Arthur to the floor. Merlin knew exactly where Princess Catarina had been all day, but he promised her he would tell no one, especially not Arthur.

"Merlin?" Arthur pushed knowing that Merlin was hiding something, "You are a terrible liar, Merlin. You shouldn't even bother trying. I can always tell when you've got something to hide."

Suddenly Merlin's gaze jerked up from the floor to meet Arthur's. The servant looked as though he was about to say something, perhaps confess something, but then on second thought he had decided against it.

"Well?" Arthur asked.

"I believe she is getting ready for the feast." Merlin lied, "I heard her and Gwen talking about getting a new dress from the market."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Of course she would spend hours planning and primping for the arrival of King Spairon's men, "If you see her tell her to come to the Great Hall, will you?"

As Arthur released Merlin's sleeve, Merlin nodded then hurried out of the hall. Briskly making his way down the narrow halls Merlin found himself at the door to Gaius's chambers. He pushed the door open and frantically looked around.

"What is it?" The old physician asked upon seeing Merlin's worried face as he stood in the doorway.

Hesitant to answer Merlin slowly entered the room. He looked all around but did not find what he was searching for.

"What is wrong?" Gaius asked.

"Nothing." Merlin replied distractedly.

Gaius sighed disapprovingly, "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

His crystal blue gaze meeting with the physician's Merlin held an expression of surprise.

"I know you too well, Merlin. What have you done now? I am sure Arthur will be understanding if..."

"It is not what I have done." Merlin said cutting off Gaius.

The old man leaned back on his stool and crossed his arms over his chest. He sat waiting and prepared to listen.

Merlin plopped down on the stool across from Gaius and explained everything. He knew that technically Princess Catarina had made him promise not to tell anyone, but Gaius could be trusted. As Merlin spoke, Gaius just nodded slowly never saying anything or even changed his facial expression.

When Merlin was done Gaius on sighed and shook his head.

"So you see it really had nothing to do with me this time." Merlin smiled.

"Yeah sure." Gaius replied sarcastically before turning back to his book.

Just outside of Gaius' chambers the sound of light footsteps could be heard and hushed voices. Slowly to the door to his chamber was pushed open and Gwen appeared in the doorway. The bright smile on her face fell as she saw Gaius sitting on the school, and a worried frown appeared as she met Merlin's gaze. Then Catarina stepped around Gwen and into Gaius' chambers.

The physician looked up as the Princess entered the room. He was caught off guard when he saw the Princess dressed in a pale tattered gown, her hair a tangled mess, and her normally rosy cheeks now pale and tired.

"Your highness, are you alright?" Gaius asked worriedly.

Catarina smiled and almost instantly the light had returned to her eyes, "Oh yes, Gaius. I just have a greater appreciation for everything Merlin and Gwen do for Arthur and myself everyday." She said as she followed Gwen over to the washbowl and began scrubbing the dirt off of her hands.

Gaius watched curiously but knew not to ask the princess what she had been doing.

"How did it go?" Merlin eventually asked.

Gwen and Catarina exchanged a look and shared a mischievous smile.

"I don't think Sir Rolsen will even dare look at Catarina again." Gwen replied with a giggle.

Merlin smiled proudly.

"Have the rest of the Knights arrived yet?" Catarina asked as she dried her hands.

"Not yet. Arthur is in the Great Hall waiting for you." Merlin told her.

The Princess nodded and thanked both Merlin and Gaius. Then she and Gwen left to prepare for the feast.

In the Great Hall, King Arthur continued to greet the various nobles who had come to attend the fest. He talked with each of them and assure them that with King Spairon's men Camelot would be protected from Morgana.

"How can you be sure these men will be able to stand up to her magic?" One of the nobles asked Arthur.

"No man or sorceress would dare stand up against Sir Rolsen." The Knight boasted as he came up behind the King.

The noblemen smiled and nodded to the Knight, "Let's hope you are right, Sir."

"No need to hope. I know it to be true. I have slayed Dragons, defeated numerous beasts, and conquered lands. A petty sorceress does not stand a chance against me."

Arthur eyed the knight and said, " It will take more than one man to defeat Morgana." He said to the Knight.

"Oh of course your Highness." Sir Rolsen bowed his head, "Under your leadership the rest of King Spairon's men and I will protect your great city."

Now it was Arthur who bowed his head. Then he left the Knight and Nobleman to talk. As Arthur walked away he thought about Sir Rolsen said. He reminded Arthur much of himself when he had just become a knight. Arthur recognized the same eager spirit in the Knight that he had once shared. Even if he did come across as a bit head strong Arthur was glad to have someone so determined fighting on his side. Plus Sir Rolsen would have undergone intense training in order to become a Knight for King Spairon. His expertise would prove to be very valuable to Arthur in battle field.

As Arthur took a seat on his throne he looked around the great hall. He still did not see Catarina, and now it seemed that Merlin had disappeared as well. Just when Arthur was beginning to think something was going on the doors to the Great Hall were pushed open and Princess Catarina appeared on the other side.

Confident and proud Catarina held her head high as she strode into the Great Hall. She caught the eye of many noblewomen who were gasping in awe at her crimson gown and her gold diadem with ruby stones glittering against her sand colored hair. As she reached the middle of the hall her gaze met with Sir Rolsen's.

Upon seeing the Princess the Knight's face turned as white as a sheet. He resisted the urge to turn and run to the King. Then he saw the the diadem placed carefully atop her head, and he realized now exactly who she was.

"Princess Catarina..." He gasped.

"She is very beautiful isn't she?" The nobleman said with a proud smile, "She looks so much like her dear mother."

Sir Rolsen's hands shook with fear but also with anger. He looked over his shoulder to see Arthur standing in front of his throne for his sister to join him. Arthur smiled lovingly as Catarina made her way through the hall. It was clear to the knight that Arthur had no idea what his dear sister was really like. When Catarina finally came to pass the Knight he mumbled under his breath, "Sorceress Princess."

Only Catarina heard the remark. She strode right passed him as if she had not heard it, but inside she was overjoyed. It had worked.

The entire hall fell into a bow as Catarina stepped up to the throne and took her seat.  
"Thank you all for being here to welcome the men from King Spairon's army. Tonight we will celebrate a prosperous union as we stand together to defeat the evil threatening our home. Together we will put an end to Morgana's reign and put and end to her magic." Arthur declared.

"You should put an end to the Sorceress beside you first." The Knight mumbled.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Merlin asked coming up behind the knight.

"I need to talk to the King." The Knight replied.

"The King is a bit busy at the moment." Merlin said glancing up at the King who was still making his speech about how they would stand against Morgana.

"I don't care." Rolsen hissed.

Merlin nodded then disappeared in the crowd.

As Arthur finished his speech the crowd began shifting. Some nobles paired off and began dancing while others lingered in small groups discussing the hunt from last week. Nervously Sir Roslen eyed each one of them. He wondered if any of them knew. Surely the Princess had someone protecting her.

Thoughts of Princess Catarina's betrayal and trickery swirled around in Sir Rolsen's head. He was suspicious of everyone in the Great Hall. He began to think that this entire quest to aid Camelot was some kind of trap. The Knight's palms grew sweaty as he stood alone among the crowd.

It was after her encounter with Sir Rolsen in the hall when he first arrived at the castle, Catarina knew that she needed to do something that would remind the man that he is just that, a man. He is no better than any other man despite the title he may carry. The mere fact that he would treat a servant as he did proved to Catarina that this Knight was anything but noble.

So when the Princess and Gwen returned to her chambers after the Knight had struck her they formed a plan. The Princess decided to use her guise as a servant in order to trick Sir Rolsen into thinking she was in fact a sorceress. The goal was to frighten him enough that he would treat the rest of the servants with more respect, and if he happened to leave the city after all of that than Catatrina would not complain.

With Gwen and Merlin's help the Princess worked as a servant to the Knight for the day, all while playing practical jokes on him in order to make him believe she had magic. A few swiftly closed doors, mysteriously doused candles, and haunting moans in the deserted corridors seemed to have done the trick. Apparently the Knight was far more superstitious than Catarina realized. By the end of the day he was absolutely convinced that she was the forbidding presence behind all of the magical occurrences.

As he scanned the elegantly dressed crowd, Sir Roslen's beady eyes found their way to Catarina. The Princess stood in the middle of the hall with her maid beside her. Sir Rolsen was convinced the maid was in on the entire scheme. The Princess stood proudly smiling and laughing as she spoke with a noblewoman. It only annoyed Sir Rolsen even more.

"How dare she." He grumbled.

Never in his life had the Knight felt so humiliated. First for not realizing sooner that she was not a servant, but the Princess of Camelot. Second for letting her use her powers to torment him. He was not going to let her get away with this. The Knight was determined to make the Princess pay for the hell she had put him through.

"She picked the wrong man to toy with." He continued to mumble under his breath as he made his way through the crowd towards Catarina.

As the Knight approached Catarina turned to face him. Still holding her bright smile she bowed her head to him when he stood before her, "Hello Sir. You must be one of King Spairon's men, Sir Rolsen? My brother told me that you arrived in Camelot before the rest of the men."

Rolsen's jaw dropped in surprise as the Princess pretended not to know him. Of course then he realized he should not have been so surprised. If she admitted to knowing him then she would have to explain how their paths had previously crossed.

"I will not play your game." Sir Rolsen replied.

"Excuse me?" Catarina asked before glancing over at Gwen.

The noblewoman who the Princess had been talk to politely excused herself and melted into the rest of buzzing crowd.

"You have made a grave mistake by revealing yourself to me." The knight shook his head at her.

"I am afraid I don't..."

"Stop. We both know what you really are, and it is no princess." He spat as his gaze flickered up to the diadem on Catarina's head.

"Sir... I really..."

"I will tell the King the truth about you. Sister or not he will have to uphold the laws of this land." Sir Rolsen raised a threatening brow.

Princess Catarina only smiled and eyed the Knight.

"You will never again hold such power over me." He declared, " I will see that you..."

The Knight was interrupted when the King appeared behind him, "Ah, Sir Rolsen! I have been looking for you." Arthur announced cheerfully cutting through the tension between the Knight and the Princess, " I see you have met the Princess Catarina."

"Your Highness, I need to speak with..." Rolsen began.

"Actually I am glad that the two of you have had the chance to get acquainted." Arthur confessed.

Catarina shot a glance at her brother, "You are?"

Nodding, Arthur smiled and placed a friendly hand on Sir Rolsen's shoulder.

"I was hoping Sir Rolsen's early arrival would give the two of you a chance to get to know one another before the rest of the men arrive and the chaos of battle begins." Arthur explained.

"Sire, I really must speak with you. It is of great importance." The Knight said hurriedly.

Arthur chuckled, "Always so focused and determined. I admire that, and I have no doubt we will all be grateful for it in the coming days."

"What do you mean?" Catarina asked. She sensed that Arthur was leading up to something but was not sure how to say it. She wished he would just come out with it instead of beating about the bush.

"I could not ask for a finer Knight by my side during such a time. You have served your King, Spairon well. Word of your wit and skills in battle have spread far an wide. Camelot is lucky to have you here, I am lucky. I know that under your protection the Princess will be safe." Arthur said.

This time it was Catarina's jaw that fell slack. She stared at Arthur in disbelief, _Did he really just make Sir Rolsen my guard?_ She asked herself.

"Sire, I ..."

"Please, don't be modest. I know my sister will be safe with you." Arthur repeated.

"I do not need a guard, Arthur." Catarina said.

Arthur smirked. He had expected her to be resistant to the idea. Catarina was always very independent, and as much as Arthur hated to admit it she was just as good with a sword as he was.

"I know. "Arthur began, "This is no ordinary battle. This time our enemy is someone who we once trusted. She knows all of our weakness. Morgana will come after you, Catarina. She knows how valuable you are to the Kingdom and to me..."

With that last sentence Sir Rolsen's disgusted expression turned to one of excitement, for it had just occurred to him that he too had power. He did not have magic, but he held a secret about the Princess. A powerful secret, one in which he was sure she would not want revealed. Sir Rolsen was not above blackmailing the Princess, so when he realized that perhaps this secret would be of great value to him a wicked smile spread across his lips.

 _"She is his most valued possession. He would do anything for her. I can make that work in my favor."_ Rolsen thought to himself.

"...I just want to make sure that you are protected." Arthur continued to say to Catarina, "It is just a precaution. I know that Sir Rolsen is the right man for the task."

"But Arthur..." This time Catarina was interrupted. Trumpets sounded in the courtyard. Everyone turned to the large windows in the hall to see dozens of men on horseback approaching the castle gate.

The rest of King Spairon's men had arrived. Arthur turned away from Sir Rolsen and Catarina in order to see the men enter the Courtyard. The echoing sound of hooves filled the King's heart with so much joy. The arrival of these men brought hope back to the King.

"Come, we must greet the men." Arthur said turning back to Catarina. He held out his arm for her but his gaze was fixed on the door to the courtyard.

Catarina wanted to tell Arthur about Sir Rolsen and everything that had happened, but he was too distracted. There was no way she could talk to him now. So she obediently walked beside him out to the courtyard where together they greeted the rest of King Spairon's men.


	5. Chapter 5: Castle Walls

The walls around the castle were high. Some might say good for protection, if Camelot were attacked hundreds of people could take refuge behind the strong great walls, and wait out the attack. Other people saw the great walls and saw only a prison. Fear spiked in the blood of many men when they gazed upon the enormous walls. Walls that would only serve to keep them trapped.

"Why so quiet? It is not like you, Gwaine." Sir Percival asked as they rode up to the castle gates.

"It's nothing." the squire mumbled as he stared up at the walls he was about to pass under.

Sir Percival gave his friend a puzzled look. It was not like Gwaine to be so withdrawn. In fact in the past five years Percival was not even sure he had ever seen Gwaine not joking and laughing with the other squires.

"What happened to this being a great adventure?" Percival asked with a smirk.

"That was before I knew I would be following you into the most protected castle in the realm." Gwaine complained as his gaze fell to meet Percival's.

Percival chuckled, "It can't be that well protected. Otherwise we wouldn't be here."

Now Gwaine smirked as they passed through the gates with the rest of King Spairon's men. The sounds of hoofs clicking against the stone courtyard echoed sharply as the dozens of men came to a hault before the castle steps.

"Welcome!" Someone called to the men once the trumpets stopped, "I want to thank you all for coming. We are most grateful to King Spairon for sending so many of his most trusted men to come and aid us in this fight..."

Gwaine peered around Sir Percival and saw the King of Camelot standing on the the steps of the palace addressing all of the knights and their squires in the court yard. The King was nothing like Gwaine had expected. For one King Arthur was much younger than King Spairon and any other King he had ever seen. However Arthur stood tall and confident as he spoke. He clearly had spent his whole life training for the day he would become King.

"...Tomorrow we will plan and train for battle, but tonight we will feast and celebrate you arrival!" Arthur announced.

The crowd cheered and the Knights began to dismount.

"Sir Percival!" Gwaine heard a familiar voice call. From behind the King another figure stepped out of the shadows. He waved to Percvial and called him over. Gwaine recognized the man to be Sir Rolsen. Instinctively Gwaine's face twisted into an expression of disgust at the sight of the fiery haired Knight.

Though, Gwaine's gaze did not remain on the slimy Knight long. Someone else had caught his eye. Sir Rolsen had squeezed passed her as he came out from behind the King. A beautiful woman in a crimson ball gown radiating beauty as she stood on the step just behind the King. Though she was not hidden by his shadow, nor was she blocked by the numerous nobles surrounding the King. In fact she seemed to stand firmly on her own almost beside the King as if they were equals. The woman commanded her own attention and her own posse of nobles surrounding her.

The woman was beautiful to Gwaine. He could not tear his gaze from her. He wanted to know this woman. Quickly he dismounted from his horse and began making his way to the palace steps.

"Ah, Gwaine. I see you have come along as well." Sir Rolsen called, "You can't leave your master's side for even one moment can you?"

At the sound of this name Gwaine's attention turned from the lovely woman over to Sir Rolsen.

"Well, I should be glad you are here. The servants in this place... lets just say they don't compare to you." Rolsen continued.

Gwaine's gaze narrowed.

"Come now, show them how the job is done. Bring Sir Percival's horse to the stables and muck out my horse's stall."

"Sir Rolsen, we have only just arrived. Gwaine and I have been ridding for the past three days..." Sir Percival tried to defend his squire but Sir Rolsen just ignored him.

"Go on!" Sir Rolsen commanded.

After exchanging a look and a nod with Sir Percival, Gwaine did as Sir Rolsen commanded. When Gwaine looked over his shoulder for one last glimpse at the woman he would never meet he realized her blue eyes were fixed on him as well. The woman had seen the entire exchange between Gwaine and Sir Rolsen.

The woman smiled softly at Gwaine. A sympathetic smile as if she knew him and knew what kind of a monster, Sir Rolsen could be.

Gwaine smiled back. For a brief moment he considered dashing over to her now. At least he could learn her name, but then he heard Sir Rolsen's voice behind him, "..At this rate I could become the next King of Camelot. Arthur already trusts me and I have the rest of the court in my back pocket."

Gwaine rolled his eyes. They may have been in a different city and visiting with a new King, but Sir Rolsen was always the same, self- righteous, greedy, scumbag he had always been. Sucking up to the nobles and royal families just to line his own deep pockets.

"Come on, Brutus." Gwaine ushered Sir Percival's horse forward as he took one last fleeting glance back at the woman.

From her place upon the stairs, Catarina could see the dozen's of men that now filled the court yard. Many of the men wore long golden colored capes with King Spairon's crest embroidered on them. a group of squire's carried King Spairon's banners while the rest of the squires sat back by the gate waiting for orders from their master's. But what caught Catarina's attention was the squire who, Sir Rolsen had called over. It has been a scruffy man, who looked far too toned to just be a squire. The man turned when Roslen had called his name, Gwaine.

The Princess watched sympathetically as Sir Rolsen degraded Gwaine in front of all of the men. Of course Catarina was not surprised by Sir Rolsen's crude behavior, but she still felt for the man as she was sure he did not deserve to be talked to in such a way.

When Sir Rolsen insulted the man, Catarina could tell he wanted to just lash out and punch Sir Rolsen in the face, but then decided to do otherwise. Part of Catarina had wished he would have hit the Knight. Perhaps then Arthur would reconsider making him, her new guard.


	6. Chapter 6: Titles

The path from the courtyard to the stables was filled with loose pebbles. The stones crackled under Brutus's hooves. The horse whined and reared it's head back.

"Easy, boy." Gwaine soothed as he tighten his grip on the horse's reins and patted Brutus' neck.

They continued down a steep path until they reached the stables. Gwaine carefully led Brutus inside the stable while looking in each stall. Almost all of the stalls had been filled with with King Arthur's horses, but at the far end of the stable there was an empty stall.

"Well this looks cozy." Gwaine said to Brutus.

The horse nickered in reply.

Grinning at the horse, Gwaine said, "I'll be back in a bit with a treat for ya."

When the horse replied Gwaine winked and stepped out of the stall. He strode back through the stables whistling cheerfully . He did not hear someone else approaching as he came to the stable doors. Without the chance to stop, Gwaine collided with a scrawny dark haired man.

Both men went stumbling backwards after colliding with one another. The bucket the dark haired man had been carrying flew to the side and all of the water with in it spilled out.

"Oh, I am sorry." Gwaine apologized after he reached out his hand to help the other man to his feet.

"It's alright it was my fault." The second man said as he introduced himself, "I am Merlin."

"Pleasure." Gwaine replied as he introduced himself in return.

"You must be one of King Spairon's Knights. King Arthur has asked me to tell each of the Knights that should they need anything I stay in the court physician chambers..." Merlin started to say.

Gwaine chuckled loudly and deeply interrupting Merlin. With tears in his eyes Gwaine worked to control himself and regain his breath.

"I am certainly no Knight. I am just as good as any of King Spairon's Knights. The only difference is that I don't need a fancy title to go along with it."Gwaine corrected.

Merlin cocked his head to the side.

"My friend, Sir Percival is one of King Spairon's men. I work as his squire when the mood strikes me." He explained, "A trip to a new city with new adventures was not an opportunity I wanted to pass up."

At first Merlin was confused why Gwaine found it so funny that someone could mistake him for a Knight, but then he felt himself break into a smile. There was something about this stranger that Merlin liked. He was perhaps a bit course but he was honest and real. Not like the other men who had come to Camelot, and certainly not like Sir Rolsen.

"Well either way, squire Gwaine if you should need anything..." Merlin offered.

"Thank you." Gwaine nodded, "Actually there is something you could do for me..."Then as if on cue his stomach began to growl," I'd be happy to get my hands on a nice tankard of Mead right about now... and maybe a slice of apple pie?"

Merlin laughed and nodded. Then he picked up the empty bucket from off the ground and pointed back up the path towards the castle.

"There is a ton of food inside the Great Hall. I'll show you after I feed Arthur's horse."

"As in King Arthur?"

Merlin nodded.

Then Gwaine shook his head, " I am sorry for you, my friend."

Again Merlin looked confused.

" I would not wish that job on my worst enemy. To be in service of a King is the worst fate anyone could face." Gwaine explained.

"Oh, it isn't so bad..." Merlin started to say as he entered the stall with Arthur's horse.

Gwaine continued to shake his head, "I bet he makes you help him dress every morning. As if he is too good to even break a sweat by pulling his tunic over his head. And it is all because of that empty title of King."

Not sure of what to say Merlin did not reply. Sure there were times Arthur could be a royal prat, and when Merlin had first met Arthur, he would have agreed with Gwaine. Merlin does have to help Arthur dress himself every morning, but over the past few years Merlin actually began to see Arthur as more than the King. Arthur is a man just like he and Gwaine, Arthur is just a man with an incredibly heavy weight on his shoulders all the time.

"Arthur is not like that." Merlin eventually said.

"So you mean he sees you as more than his servant? He treats you like an equal?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin paused for a moment and thought about it.

"Well not an equal but..."

Gwaine pursed his lips together and nodded having clearly made his point.

"I still think you're wrong about him." Merlin said.

"I'll tell you what, after a few tankards of mead I might be more willing to agree with you." Gwaine teased.

With that Merlin stepped out of the stall and smiled. Then the two of them mad their way back up to the castle.

Once inside the castle, Merlin led Gwaine to the Great Hall. He brought Gwaine in through the servant's halls and door. Immediately Gwaine's wondering gaze found the long table of food. His smile brightened when he saw all of the cheeses and pies.

"I am sure you will find some mead over there." Merlin encouraged.

Excitedly Gwaine weaved his way through the crowd towards the long table. Just before he reached out and took a roll he turned to Merlin and asked, "We aren't nobles..."

Merlin nodded,"The feast is for everyone." He said and smiled. He had made his point now.

Understand what Merlin was saying Gwaine chuckled and picked up the roll. He tore into the roll and then pour himself something to drink.

"I told you that after a few tankards I might be more willing to accept him." Gwaine winked.

A drum pounded rhythmically allowing music to fill air of the Great Hall along with the sounds of muffled conversations between the various gatherings of nobles and Knights. The hall glowed with candle light as the sun began to set and the sky grew dark.

"Oh Merlin! There you are!" Gwen called as she rushed over to him, " Arthur has been looking all over for you.

"He prob- ably neeeds you to fe-eed himm." Gwaine slurred drunkenly.

"Who is he?" Gwen asked Merlin.

"I am Gwaine, my lady." Gwaine bowed.

Meanwhile Gwen began to blush as several nobles turned to watch the spectacle.

"I am not a lady..." She replied.

"No, of course not. You look more like a Princess to me." Gwaine continued.

Too embarrassed Gwen turned to Merlin and said, "We should find Arthur. He was desperate to find you."

Merlin nodded before patting Gwaine on the shoulder and reminding him that if he needs anything while in Camelot to come find him in the court physician's chambers. Then Merlin and Gwen disappeared among the crowd. The nobles who had been watching Gwaine now turned away and resumed their previous conversations.

Eventually Gwaine began wandering through the crowd as he chomped down on a piece of cheese. He overheard various conversations that the guests were having, but most of the conversations were about the attack that Camelot had just gone through.

Feeling warm and uncomfortable Gwaine slipped out one of the doors and found his way into the court yard. He slumped up against the stone wall along the stairs and closed his eyes. The crisp night air blew across his face cooling him down. Gwaine allowed himself to slip into a dizzy dream of his childhood. Afternoons in the fields working beside his mother, but watching the road for his father to return from battle.

Gwaine was only stirred from the memory like dream when he heard soft footsteps on the stone ground. He opened his eyes to see the same woman in the crimson gown he noticed earlier. She stepped out into the court yard and leaned against the stone railing in front of her. The woman closed her eyes and tilted her head back so that her face was pointed to the sky. Clearly she had not noticed Gwaine sitting nearby.

"There is something so refreshing in the night air, isn't there?" Gwaine asked the woman as he rose to his feet.

Startled the woman gasped and spun around to look at Gwaine.

"Hello... I am sorry I frightened you." Gwaine said, "My name is Gwaine." He said as he bowed.

"I recognize you from this morning. You spoke with Sir Rolsen when you first arrived." The woman replied as she slowly moved towards Gwaine, "Correct me if I am wrong but he and you are not on the friendliest terms?"

Smirking Gwaine nodded, "I suppose that is a pretty way of putting it."

The woman smiled in return. Then looked back out at the dark court yard, " Oh, and to answer your question... I have always enjoyed spending time outside after everyone else has gone to sleep."

"Oh you do?" Gwaine replied with a mischievous smile.

The woman giggled and nodded.

"When I was young my mother and I would walk from our home to the fields when it was late at night." Gwaine confessed to the woman.

The woman listened attentively to Gwaine. She turned her back to the court yard and lead against the railing so that she was facing Gwaine.

A bit nervous and uncomfortable from her fully devoted attention Gwaine chuckled nervously. Then he continued the story, "My father always told her that the night she could no longer see the lights in the sky would be the night he would return from war."

"Your father was a Knight?" The woman asked.

Gwaine nodded, "A Knight, a solider, or an obedient lap dog who is pushed out into the rain on cold night."

The woman's gaze narrowed in confusion.

"My father served his King loyally for years. Then when he died in battle he left my my mother and I alone and penniless. My mother turned to the King for help but he shut her out. He refused to help." Gwaine licked his teeth in annoyance as he explained.

"I am sorry." The woman offered a sincere apology.

Gwaine sighed as he leaned forward on the railing tempting fate to pull him over. When he came up right again he looked at the woman who still held the saddening expression of sympathy.

"Don't apologize. It isn't you who turned a widow and her young son away. It is people like them and their kind. It is those with titles." He said gesturing to the nobles in the Great Hall.

Now the woman shifted her weight awkwardly before nervously pulling at the hem of her skirt. She look from the tips of her shoes which peeked out from under her skirt to the people gathered within the Great Hall. The people who Gwaine clearly despised. He clearly had not noticed the gold diadem placed gently among her soft blonde hair, and obviously Gwaine was unaware of the fact that she was one of the nobles who he disliked so much.

"Not all Kings are bad..." She eventually whispered.

"Once you've met one then you you've met them all." He replied bitterly.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and said, "You are wrong." She waited for a reply from Gwaine but then just continued speaking anyway, "I am sorry for what happen your family, but that is on one man. Not all of them. You say titles don't mean anything, but here you are judging people you don't even know based on their title."

Gwaine stood before the woman nearly speechless.

"Why are you defending them?" He asked.

"Because I am one of them." She snapped as he ripped the diadem off of her head and shoved it at him, "Even worse... I am sister to the King of Camelot, Princess Catarina." She bowed slightly and quickly as she introduced herself then she dashed off back into the Great Hall.

Left standing alone outside in the cold feeling as though he had stumbled all over himself and placed his foot in his mouth. Gwaine instantly felt like a fool when he found out who the woman was. Of course she was the Princess. That would explain why she stood so close to the King when they first arrived.

Still holding the Princess's diadem in his hand, Gwaine slowly turned around to look at the feast going on within the castle walls. He could still see Princess Catatrina as she rushed over to Gwen and began talking to her. It was safe to assume that she would tell Gwen about what had just happened. Gwaine knew there would be no making up for what he had said to the Princess, and now before it had even begun he had lost the chance to get to know the enchanting woman he gazed upon when he first came to Camelot.


	7. Chapter 7: Shadows

The castle was quiet as the sun rose over the city. The court yard and Great Hall were silent all except for the sound of dying fires which were lit in each of the main rooms of the large castle. The fires were used to warm the entire castle, and with so many guests staying in the castle Arthur wanted to be sure that all of the rooms were warm for the night. Every spare room in the castle had been filled with King Spairon's men. All of Arthur's servants stayed the night in the castle to help attend to all of the guests.

As the sub rose and many of the servants were just waking up for the day, Merlin had been sitting up in his bed for hours. He had hardly slept the night before. He spent most of the night tossing and turning from nightmares until he eventually climbed out of his bed and went for something to drink. He tip- toed out of his room and into Gaius's study. Carefully he stepped past the rickety cot Gaius slept on and poured himself something to drink. When the light from the candle he had been carrying flickered onto Gaius's face the old man stirred and woke from his slumber. He groaned and stretched as he propped himself up on his elbow to look at Merlin.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Gaius asked sleepily.

"I couldn't sleep." Merlin replied after taking another sip.

"Was it the dream again?" Gaius pursed.

Merlin nodded, "It was different this time."

"How so?"

Merlin took a seat on the stood beside Gaius's cot. He took another slow sip before he told Gaius about the dream.

Just like every other time he had the dream it began on a dark chilly night. As the full moom cast an ominous glow on the forest below. The moon shone brightly in the night sky. Dark shadows stretched across the forest floor while he weaved in and out of the trees. With the full moon hanging low in the sky as the cool air moaned as it whipped through the sounds of heavy panting meshed with the sound of leaves crunching beneath the weight of his paws filled the air.

With heart pounding the sense of dread swelled up within him as he raced through the forest. Keeping his eyes locked sharp on the dancing shadows, the wolf ran towards the light of the silvery moon. Knowing there wasn't much time left he broke into a desperate sprint until he crossed over of the forest's edge.

From the ledge just beyond the forest, the wolf gazed upon the great city of Camelot. The city was aglow in the warm light of flickering candles. At seeing the marvelous city the wolf sighed in relief, and then flicked his head back and howled at the full moon above.

However unlike in the previous dreams in the one Merlin had just had was different...

As the wolf howled up at the low hanging full moon the shadows from the dense forest behind enveloped him. As the darkness draped it's self around him, the wolf clawed and bit at them Trying to fight off the shadows he whimpered as they over took him.

The last thing the wolf saw before loosing consciousness was a single black crow flying over head towards Camelot. He watched as the crow flew towards the light of the grand castle but was careful to stay within the shadows of darkness as it crossed over the towering walls of the castle. Once again the wolf cried out in utter defeat, as he knew he had failed and Camelot was in grave danger.

Merlin sat across from Gaius just staring down at the empty cup in his hand.

"I know it means something, Gaius. I am just not sure what." Merlin said

Gauis nodded and thought for a moment. He agreed with Merlin. These dreams were a sign or vision of something to come, but they were riddled with symbols that neither one of them were sure they could decode.

After a moment Gaius rose from his bed and shuffled over to the bookshelf across the room. From the bookshelf he pulled four thick black covered books. He plopped them down with a thud on the workbench in he center of the room. Merlin looked watched from over his should and waited for Gaius to explain.

"Animals can represent many things..." Gaius began, "Perhaps if we figure out what the crow and the wolf are meant to represent then we can determine what it is these dreams are warning you of."

Merlin sighed and reluctantly flipped open one of the heavy books. He wished Gaius could just tell him what the dream meant.


	8. Chapter 8: The Non-Nobleman

When Catarina awoke the day after the feast the castle was already buzzing with life. Servants rushed through the halls outside her chambers trying to serve all of King Spairon's men. Just outside her window in the court yard dozens of men in armor had begun saddling their horses. However high in the elegant chambers of the royals, the Princess laid in her soft bed with her light sheets draped over her. Catarina's eyes fluttered open before she slowly stretched her arms above her head. The bright light from the morning sun poured through her window and caught her attention. She smiled as the warm light toughed her cheeks.

"Good morning your majesty." Gwen called from the heavy door which had been left ajar.

Princess Catarina smiled and waved Gwen into the room.

"I have brought your breakfast. The cooks did their best to keep it warm for you." Gwen explained as she carried the silver tray of food over to Catarina.

The Princess gave Gwen a strange look as she took the tray on to her lap. Delicately placed on the tray was an assortment of cheeses and bread.

"The cooks did the best they could..." Gwen explained when she saw Catarina looking curiously at the tray, "Our resources are spread a little thin with the arrival of King Spairon's men. All of the servants have taking on twice the amount of work, portions have been reduced, and some people have even agreed to share their chambers."

"I see." Catarina replied, "I don't mind a bit of a smaller breakfast." She smiled and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, ma'am." Gwen replied as she busily began fluffing the small pillows at the end of Catarina's bed.

Catarina though knew that her friend was lying. Gwen had not eaten yet, and with the new restrictions on food it was likely that she would not eat anything until supper.

"Please, Gwen have some." Catarina offered as she extended the tray towards the servant.

"Oh, no... I can't..." Gwen replied modestly.

Catarina pursed her lips together and pushed the cheese plate towards Gwen.

With a smile Gwen bowed her head and plucked a small piece of cheese from the plate, "Thank you, my Lady."

Catarina placed the tray down on the bed beside her then swung her legs over the side of the high bed. She could now see the crowd of men gathering in the court yard. The Princess watched as the men began lining up beside the castle gate.

"Many of them are going to patrol the boarders." Gwen said as she came to stand beside Catarina with a long indigo gown in her arms.

"Did Sir Rolsen go with them?" The Princess asked.

Gwen sighed and shook her head. It was clear that despite all of Catarina, Gwen, and Merlin's efforts the day before it seemed that Sir Rolsen was only more determined to stay in Camelot. More so once he realized he would benefit from being so close to the King and Princess.

"At least not all of King Spairon's men seem to be so rude. " Gwen tried to say optimistically.

Catarina rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I am not to sure about that."

The Princess had been referring to the drunken squire she met at the feast last night. When she first spotted the squire in the courtyard with Rolsen, Catarina would have thought him a respectable man. However after his slurred speech about pretentious nobles, the Princess realized he was no better than Rolsen. While Rolsen looked down on the commoners and treated them like scum beneath his boot, the squire scoffed and mocked the nobles without having any idea how hard life could be as a noble.

"I am not sure any of King Spairon's men possess noble gentlemanly qualities." Catarina told Gwen as she sat on the edge of the bed, "Either way I need to talk to Arthur. I need to tell him about Sir Rolsen. There is no way I will let him be my personal guard." She announced as she got to her feet and took the gown from Gwen's arms.

Dutifully Gwen helped Catarina into her gown, combed her hair, and helped her put on a new pair of shoes. Then Gwen began making the now empty bed as Catarina pulled open the heavy door to her chambers and stepped out into the hall.

"Good morning, your majesty." One of the servants greeted her as they rushed by.

"Good morning, Kylie. Is Arthur in his chambers?" Catarina asked.

"I am sorry I have not seen the King all morning, my Lady." Kylie replied.

The Princess thanked Kylie and continued down the long narrow halls of the castle. She climbed the steep stone stairs higher into the castle. All the while she thought about how she would explain to Arthur why Sir Rolsen needed to return to his own kingdom. She would need to tell Arthur how Sir Rolsen struck her, and about how she attempted to scare him off. Knowing that her brother would disapprove she hoped he would at least send Sir Rolsen off as a dishonored Knight.

"Ah, Merlin!" Catarina's eyes lit up when she spotted the servant after she came up the stairs, "I am looking for Arthur. You haven't seen him have you?"

"He just left with the patrol." Merlin replied as he shifted the lump of washing from one arm to another, "Is everything alright?"

Catarina sighed disappointingly, "No... I need to tell him about Sir Rolsen."

Merlin nodded. He knew exactly what the Princess wanted to tell the King, but unfortunately Arthur would not return to the castle for several more hours.

"I will just have to wait until he returns." Catarina said while slowly walking back down the steps with Merlin.

"It might be a long while until he returns." Merlin told her, "Today is market day..."

"Oh it is! I completely forgot."

"I wanted to go to market any way. I will just find him after market closes." Catarina decided.

As they walked Merlin told the Princess about his list of duties for the day. He told her of one of the patients Gaius had been treating in the village. Merlin was about to make a trip to check on the patient for Gaius.

When they reached the main hall Catarina saw Gwen and called her over to where she and Merlin had stopped.

"Merlin, Gwen and I were planning on going to market anyway. Why don't we check on the patient for you?" Catarina offered, "You don't mind do you, Gwen?"

Gwen smiled and shook her head. It would be a great help to Merlin with everything he needed to do before Arthur returned.

"Are you sure, my Lady?"

"Absolutely." Catarina nodded.

"Thank you, my Lady." Merlin bowed before turning to finishes his work.

While Gwen rushed back up to Catarina's chambers to retrieve the Princess's cloak, the Princess made her way down another set of steep stairs to the physician's chambers. The farther down into the castle she moved the less people she passed by, and the darker the halls became and the colder the walls were.

Finally she arrived outside Gaius's chambers and slowly pushed open the door. She peered into the room looking for the old man, who she expected to find sitting beside his workbench.

"Gaius?" She called as she cautiously entered the room.

There was no response and it became clear when she reached the center of the dark room that Gaius was not there. Catarina had gone to see him so she could tell him that she and Gwen would go see the patient for Merlin.

"Well, well... Isn't this a lovely surprise." A rough voice chimed from behind Catarina.

The Princess spun around to the see Sir Rolsen standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Catarina spat.

The Knight grinned but did not respond.

With a disgusted sigh Catarina moved to step around the slimy Knight, but he blocked her way.

"I would like to pass." Catarina said glaring up at his cold eyes.

Sir Rolsen chucked and crossed is arms over his chest in daring stance of defiance. Causing Catarina's brow to raise as if she were saying, _Will you really go up against me?_

After a moment of silent stares the Knight finally stepped aside allowing Catarina to pass.

"Where are you off to?" He asked as he followed her away from Gaius's chambers.

"I don't believe that is any concern of yours, Sir."

The Knight had to admit he enjoyed her fiery nature. It made for entertaining banter even if she was a witch.

"On the contrary, your Highness. As your new guard it is my duty to escort you wherever you may wish to go." Rolsen replied.

The Princess did not need to see Rolsen's face to know that he had a smug grin plastered to it. Catarina would not give him the satisfaction of a response, so the entire way back to the main hall she reminded utterly silent.

"You do not have to say a word... Your actions spoke volumes yesterday." Sir Rolsen said while continuing to follow Catarina from the main hall out into the court yard.

Waiting beside the castle gate, Gwen stood with Catarina's cloak in her arms. When Gwen saw Sir Rolsen approaching with Catarina she took a small step back, out of range of the Knight and looked at the Princess with concern.

"I did not find Gaius, but I will just explain everything to him later. Are you ready?" Catarina asked Gwen.

Gwen nodded nervously.

"If you would please excuse us, Sir Rolsen. Gwen and I have business to attend to in the village." Catarina said with a small bow of her head.

"Perfect. I was hoping to venture into market at some point today. I will go with you." He replied.

"No!"Gwen gasped.

A delighted smile spread across Rolsen's lips at Gwen's opposition.

"The market is rather large. There is no reason for you to stay with us." Catarina suggested.

"Oh, but I must. If the market is truly as large as you say then it is a prime location for the High Priestess Morgana to strike. It is my duty to guard you, my Lady." Sir Rolsen said with a bit too much excitement ringing through his voice.

This was exactly what he wanted. It was only a matter of time before everything was in place and he could use Catarina's secret against her, and in the mean time he would enjoy torturing her with it.

Again Catarina sighed reluctantly as she nodded to Sir Rolsen giving him approval to escort them through market.

The village was bustling with busy shoppers and eager vendors. Market day was always an exciting day for the people of Camelot. Everyone came out of their houses and made time to wander through the stands of exotic items. Crowds gathered and pilled around every stand while vendors shouted over them. The Princess and Gwen moved easily through the crowd as they gazed at the elegant fabrics, tapestries, and jewels that were for sale.

"What about the patient?" Gwen eventually whispered to Catarina.

"I don't want to bring the Non-Nobleman to see the patient. I was hoping we might loose him in the crowd of the market first." The Princess winked.

With a hushed giggle Gwen nodded.

Arm and arm the Princess and her servant quickened their pace and weaved their way deeper into the crowd. Excitement was building it's way through Catarina as she realized Sir Rolsen was quickly falling behind.

"This way." Catarina whispered to Gwen as she nodded towards a sign that read _Rising Sun Tavern._

The two of them swiftly made their way towards the building and stepped through the door. Once inside Catarina let the hood of her cloak fall away and her long blonde hair fall over her shoulders.

"Shall we?" Catarina asked Gwen as she pointed to a table in the corner.

"Are you sure we should be in here?" Gwen asked nervously.

"Why not?" Catarina asked as he took a seat, "Plus it won't be for long. Just until we are sure Sir Rolsen has gone. Then we will go see Gaius's patient. "

The Princess waved over the barmaid and ordered drinks for both herself and for Gwen. While the barmaid gave the woman strange looks for being in a tavern while dressed like nobles the woman did not say anything.

A few moments later she brought the woman their drinks and collected Catarina's payment.

"See isn't this kind of nice?" Catarina asked.

Gwen gave her a curious look.

With a giggle Catarina took another sip of her drink.

Across the tavern in the far corner a man sat watching the Princess and her servant. The man kept to the shadows of the corner to keep out of sight, but from the moment she came through the doors his gaze had not left her.

Gwen and the Princess stayed sitting comfortably in the tavern for quite awhile before anyone else came in the tavern. Unfortunately their peace was interrupted when Sir Rolsen burst through the tavern doors. His sharp gaze pulsing straight to Catarina.

"How dare you!" He spat as he grabbed the Princess by the arm and yanked her out of the chair, "I don't care you you think you are. I know what you really are and I will not stand to be made a fool of by you again!" He screamed in her face.

Catarina could see the sweat pouring down his face. She knew he was angry but she couldn't help herself as she said, "Is that a threat, Sir?"

The Knight snarled tightened his grip on her arm.

"I will see you burn." Rolsen hissed at her.

Catarina's eyes widened from shock. She would have expected Rolsen to be upset, but this was more than just a bit upset. All she did was leave him in the crowded market.

"I suggest you let go of the Lady's arm." The man who had been sitting in the corner said.

Both Catarina and Sir Rolsen turned to look at the man. Almost instantly Sir Rolsen burst out laughing, but his grip hadn't loosened on Catarina's arm.

"What are you going to do, squire?" Rolsen chuckled.

Catarina's gaze met with Gwaine's and he offered her a sympathetic smile.

"Isn't there a stable that needs mucking around here? You should just run off and mind your own business." Sir Rolsen said.

Gwaine nodded and smiled slightly at the Knight before placing his tankard down on the nearby table.

"You're right, I probably should..." Gwaine replied, "But where is the fun in that?" He asked before lifting his fit and striking Sir Rolsen's jaw so swiftly that the Knight didn't have the time to dodge the hit.

The hit sent Sir Rolsen tumbling backwards into a stone pillar, and allowing Catarina to slip free of his grip.

"You will pay for that, squire." Sir Rolsen spat as he rubbed his jaw and got back to his feet.

Now it was Gwaine who chuckled arrogantly. Which only served to farther anger Sir Rolsen, who came charging at Gwaine, but Gwaine was quick as he stepped out of the way and ducked. Still moving faster than Sir Rolsen, Gwaine struck the Knight yet again not allowing him the chance to steady himself.

With Sir Rolsen dizzily laying across one of the nearby tables Gwaine turned to Catarina and Gwen and asked them if they were alright. Both women nodded and thanked Gwaine.

"You did not need to..." Catarina began to say but was interrupted by Sir Rolsen's growl as he drew his sword and charged at Gwaine again.

Gwen gasped and dashed to the other side of the room when she saw the sword coming toward them.

Once again Gwaine was too fast for Sir Rolsen. He spun around and jumped out of the way just in time. The Knight had crashed into the nearby tables giving Catarina the chance to turn an grab the broom from behind the bar.

"What are you going to do with that?" The barmaid asked, her voice trembling.

Sir Rolsen got back to his feet and now pointed his sword at Gwaine.

Catarina did not say anything as she broke off the bottom half of the broom leaving only the stick. Then she called for Gwaine. When he looked over to her, Catarina tossed the stick through the air. Gwaine caught it and held it out in front of him in place of a sword.

"I will replace your broom." Catarina turned and said the the barmaid.

The barmaid scurried behind the bar and ducked below the counter. While Gwaine used the broomstick to defend himself against Sir Rolsen's blade.

"You really think that twig will protect you?" Rolsen mocked as he hacked away at the wood.

Gwaine did not say anything as he concentrated on blocking Sir Rolsen's advances. Meanwhile the barmaid reappeared from behind the bar. Carefully she made her way back to Catarina side.

"Will this help?" She asked as he held out a rusty old blade for Catarina, "It belonged to my father..."

"Yes!"Catarina exclaimed before taking the sword from the woman.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked as she grabbed Catarina's arm.

"I have to help him." Catarina said.

Reluctantly Gwen let go of the Princess's arm and watched as Catarina marched over to where Sir Rolsen and Gwaine danced around one another. Skillfully Catarina swung the sword clashing it against Rolsen's blade. Stunned both men froze.

Gwaine was the first to break from his hold as he chuckled at the terrified look on Sir Rolsen's face.

"I suggest you drop your weapon, Sir Rolsen." Catarina said sternly.

The Knight's gaze narrowed just before he lifted the heavy sword and swung it at Catarina. The Princess had lifted her sword in defense but it was too late. The sword had sliced her arm.

Staring at the small wound in shock, Gwaine's gaze flickered from Catarina's arm up to her face. She too was in shock. Then suddenly with a loud battle cry Gwaine picked up the sword that Catarina had dropped and charged at Sir Rolsen. The Knight's own gaze was glued to the wound when Gwaine attacked him. In one swift movement Gwaine ran the sword through Sir Rolsen's stomach.

The memorized crowd gasped at the sight of blood dripping down Catarina's arm and blood spilling out from Sir Rolsen's wound. Slowly Gwaine backed away from Sir Rolsen. He turned to Catarina and gently ushered her out of the tavern. Gwen followed closely behind them.

"We can't just leave." Catarina said to Gwaine coming to halt just outside the tavern door.

"You are hurt. You need to get back to the castle." Gwaine explained.

"And you just stabbed a Knight!" Catarina exclaimed with hands shaking.

"He deserved it and more." Gwaine mumbled.

Although Catarina heard the remark she did not acknowledge it. She did not exactly disagree with Gwaine, but she knew that eventually it would come back to haunt them.

"We can't leave." She repeated.

Then appearing from out of the crowd Gaius appeared.

"Ah, your Highness. I was just on my way to see the patient..." Gaius started to say before spying the crimson blood staining her gown.

"Gaius!" Catarina exclaimed.

"What happened?" He asked immediately beginning to examine her arm.

"Sir Rolsen attacked her." Gwen explained.

Gaius turned and looked at Gwen in confusion.

"It is a long story, but Gaius he needs your help. He is hurt badly. " Catarina said pointing to the tavern door.

Still curious about what was going on Gaius nodded and turned to the tavern.

"Will you see the Princess back to my chambers?" Gaius asked Gwaine.

Gwaine nodded.

"Gwen, I could use your help here..."

"Of course." Gwen nodded.

Gwaine offered Catarina his arm as he led her into the crowded street. They walked together quietly both thinking about everything they had just been apart of. Sir Rolsen was seriously wounded, and if he lived through this there would be no doubting that he would want revenge. He would come after both Catarina and Gwaine.


	9. Chapter 9: Trina

After the battle in the bar Giaus asked Gwaine to escort the Princess back to castle. Gwaine gladly accepted and immediately led Catarina away from the messy scene of the brawl. Side by side the two of them walked, and while the streets around them were crowded and noisy from the market, Gwaine and Catarina walked together in a tense and awkward silence.

From the corner of his eye, Gwaine peered over at the Princess who was fumbling with the torn fabric of her dress. Then Gwaine began thinking about the way this noblewoman stepped in the middle of a duel to help him. A playful smirk appeared on Gwaine's face as he recalled how gracefully she handled herself even in the mist of a duel. He had to admit that she was nothing like he would have thought a Princess would be like.

Tearing her gaze away from the bloodstained gown Catarina looked up and caught Gwaine watching her. Though it was clear he had been caught, Gwaine quickly looked away and began whistling a soft tune. His cheeks turned a bright red as he slowly looked back at the Princess to find that she was looking at him still.

Not knowing what else to say Gwaine chuckled.

His infectious laugh caused Catarina to smile as well.

"That was quite and adventure. You are a skillful swordsman... er... swordswoman, your highness."

Catarina eyed Gwaine suspiciously feeling like this was some kind of backhanded compliment, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing... I was just... impressed..." Gwaine shrugged.

Pursing her lips together Catarina glared at Gwaine, "I wasn't trying to impress you."

Still smirking Gwaine replied, " Of course not, your highness."

"Stop calling me that!" Catarina snapped.

Gwaine frozen in his tracks and gave the princess a sideways glance. A princess, royalty and born of noble blood is what she was. Gwaine had not meant to insult her. He had been trying to do the exact opposite since he met her, but it seemed that every time he opened his mouth he ended up offending her.

Seeing the startled and confused look on Gwaine's face, Catarina explained herself, "You make it sound so patronizing. As if it were something I should be ashamed of."

Before taking several steps towards Catarina, Gwaine looked around to see if their conversation had caught anyone else's attention. To Gwaine's relief not a single soul had stopped to look at them. Gwaine leaned in close to the Princess and whispered, "I apologize, Princess. I did not mean... I was just... It is what you are... I... "

Catarina sighed and nodded, "I am sorry too. I didn't mean to sound so harsh." As the pair of them began walking once more Catarina added, "Please, can you just not address me so formally? I think after what we just went through we can bend the rules of formality just this once."

Gwaine chuckled deeply and nodded in agreement.

"Well then how shall I address you?" He asked.

Turning her attention back to her stained gown Catarina did not reply.

"Perhaps just Catarina?... No that doesn't suit you." Gwaine uttered.

"It doesn't suit me? It is my name."

Gwaine only smiled.

"Well then what does suit me?" Catarina asked.

Again Gwaine stopped. This time he gently took hold of Catarina's arm and pulled her to a stop too. He eyed her up and down while tapping his finger against his chin.

Catarina giggled, " Are you really doing this? You are renaming me?"

"Yes, Catarina is the noble Princess in a crimson gown, but this woman standing before me... This woman wields a sword and doesn't shriek at the sight of blood. She is not the Princess... She is... Trina." Gwaine explained.

Suddenly the light-hearted smile on Catarina's face fell away. Her bright gaze turned away from Gwaine and the rest of her body followed. Without a word she continued to weave through the crowded street.

"Wait!" Gwaine called after her, "Wait, just wait..." He said finally catching up with her again, "If you don't like the name then we can pick something else."

It was then that he noticed the Princess was crying.

"No, just forget it. After this I doubt we will be seeing much of each other anyway." Catarina mumbled as she rubbed away the tears.

Gwaine sighed and rolled his eyes before mumbling under his breath, "And now the Princess returns." Then he stepped passed Catarina to continue through the market.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Catarina asked defensively.

When Gwaine did not respond she reached out and pulled him back by the shoulder and repeated her question. She stared him down demanding to know what the sly comment was for.

"Nothing. I can just see that your majesty has returned. The Princess Catarina is back and the woman who I fought side by side with in the tavern is gone. Catarina, her majesty with all of her walls is here now." Gwaine explained.

"Excuse me?" Catarina released Gwaine's tunic but still held his gaze.

"What does it matter now? We are almost back at the castle and you will be rid of me for good."

Neither one of them had anything more to say after that so they returned to walking in silence. Catarina with her hands cupped together tightly in front of her, and Gwaine with his gaze fixed on the castle walls up ahead.

The crowd around them had begun thinning as the market was dying down for the day. Vendors began closing up their tables and the people of Camelot found their way back into their homes. Outside the castle gates a pair of King Spairon's Knights stood guard.

"Would you please let us through." Gwaine asked when he and Catarina arrived at the gate.

"No visitors today." One of the guards replied.

Gwaine turned to Catarina with a look of confusion and a furrowed brow.

"We aren't open the gates for the squire and his bar wench." The first guard added.

"I don't think you understand I am..." Catarina tried explaining.

"Get lost, peasants!" The second guard yelled as he shoved Catarina backwards.

The Princess tripped over the hem of her skirt and went tumbling backwards into the mud. While the guards laughed and mocked her, Gwaine's palms clenched into tight fists.

Just before Gwaine had the chance to punch either of the guards, Catarina got to her feet. She stepped in between Gwaine and the guards then demanded that they open the gates by order of the Princess.

Embarrassed and humiliated the guards tried to apologize as they bumped into one another while trying to rush to open the gates for Catarina and Gwaine. Once the gate had been opened Gwaine followed Catarina through it and across the courtyard. When they reached the steps of the castle they both stopped an stared up at the castle doors.

"This is where I leave you, Princess." Gwaine said as he bowed his head and took a few steps backwards.

Catarina lifted the hem of her skirt and made her way up the first couple stairs before looking back over her shoulder at Gwaine who's back now was to her as he walked in the direction of the stables.

"Gwaine, wait!" She called after him while running down the stairs to meet him in the middle of the courtyard. Slowly Gwaine turned around and raised his head to look at her.

Standing in front of Gwaine with her eyes on his hands, Catarina explained, "Trina... it is a good name. It is what my mother called me before Arthur was born." Then her eyes rose to meet his, " What I mean to say is thank you." She added before she smiled at him.

Surprised by the sudden change in her spirits Gwaine did not know how to reply. All he could think to do was smile and bow once more. Then he watched as the Princess made her way through the castle doors. He stood in the middle of the courtyard for several moments after she had gone still trying to understand what had just happened. With one last glance up at the castle doors, Gwaine shook his head and decided that perhaps not all nobles are the same, and perhaps Trina was one worth following.


End file.
